January 15 DVD roundup

It’s not Halloween, but there’s plenty of scary stuff to go around this week, with the “Halloween” and “Goosebumps” franchises getting sequels; plus three scary BD debuts (“Howling III,” “Obsession,” “The Plague of the Zombies”). The PG-13 version of “Deadpool 2” also appears, and Robert Redford scores the week’s highest rating with “The Old Man and the Gun.”

Usual rules apply: synopses are taken from the press releases and Amazon descriptions; snarky commentary is extra. Rotten Tomatoes ratings are included where available. Prices include Amazon links so you can purchase them online (and cheaper to boot!). We also invite you to check out our Facebook Page in order to get more alerts on upcoming releases.

The Bookshop
Universal, PG, 114 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 54
DVD retail price: $22.98DVD Amazon price: $17.99
England, 1959. Free-spirited widow Florence Green (Emily Mortimer) follows her lifelong dream by opening a bookshop in a conservative coastal town. While bringing about a cultural awakening through works by Ray Bradbury and Vladimir Nabokov, she earns the polite but ruthless opposition of a local grand dame (Patricia Clarkson) and the support of a reclusive, book-loving widower (Bill Nighy).

Cliffhanger
Sony, R, 113 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 67
4K/BD/DC retail price: $30.994K/BD/DC Amazon price: $24.29
For Rocky Mountain Rescue, the mission is almost routine: locate five lost climbers. With the woman he loves (Janine Turner) and his best friend (Michael Rooker), Gabe Walker (Sylvester Stallone) braves the icy peaks only to discover that the distress call is really a trap set by merciless international terrorist Eric Qualen (John Lithgow). Now millions of dollars and their own lives hang in the balance. Also stars Paul Winfield, Ralph Waite. 4K/BD/DC extras: featurettes, deleted scenes, commentary.

Deadpool 2: Once Upon a Deadpool
Fox, PG-13, 117 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 52
BD/DC/DVD retail price: $29.99BD/DC/DVD Amazon price: $14.99
PG-13 version of the (originally) R-rated superhero flick, starring the fourth-wall breaking irreverent (to put it extremely mildly) anti-superhero Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) as he forms an alterative group to rival the X-Men. Also stars Zazie Beet, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Julian Dennison, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand. The original version scored an 83 on RT. Just sayin’. Still, it might be worth it just to see Fred Savage (unwillingly) resume his role from “The Princess Bride.” No extras listed.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween
Sony, PG, 90 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 47
DC/DVD retail price: $30.99DC/DVD Amazon price: $19.99
BD/DC/DVD retail price: $34.99BD/DC/DVD Amazon price: $19.99
4K/BD/DC retail price: $45.994K/BD/DC Amazon price: $27.99
With their after school junk business, best friends Sonny and Sam hope to find treasure in other people’s trash. But when cleaning out the old Stine house, they open a locked book that frees a supernatural nightmare – Slappy. Now, with the help of Sonny’s sister Sarah, they’re in a race against time to get the sinister dummy and all the creatures he’s brought to life back into the pages before he unleashes total pandemonium. Stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ken Jeong, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Jack Black. DC/DVD extras: gag reel, featurettes, deleted scenes, Karaoke mode.

Halloween (2018)
Universal, R, 106 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 79
DVD retail price: $29.98DVD Amazon price: $19.17
BD/DC/DVD retail price: $34.98BD/DC/DVD Amazon price: $19.99
4K/BD/DC retail price: $39.984K/BD/DC Amazon price: $24.99
Forty years later, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) now lives in a heavily guarded home on the edge of Haddonfield, where she’s spent decades preparing for Michael Meyer’s potential return. After being locked up in an institution, Myers manages to escape when a bus transfer goes terribly wrong, leading to chaos in the same town he preyed on decades earlier. Laurie now faces a terrifying showdown when the deranged killer returns for her and her family – but this time, she’s ready for him. Also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner. I know they want to recoup their money as soon as possible. However, I think I would have waited until October to release this one. But I’m sure there will be a ‘special edition.’ DVD extras: featurettes, deleted scenes.

Jonathan
Well Go USA, not rated, 95 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 65
DVD retail price: $24.98DVD Amazon price: $14.96
BD retail price: $29.98BD Amazon price: $14.99
Jonathan (Ansel Elgort) is a young Manhattanite living a solitary life in the big city, his twin brother John (Elgort) is the complete opposite – outgoing, fun and adventurous. The real similarity between the two: they share the same body. As the two divide each day into 12-hour shifts where they communicate only via daily video sessions to recount the day’s activities, secrets start to be uncovered that threatens to ruin the two sibling’s lives. Also stars Patricia Clarkson, Matthew Bomer, Suki Waterhouse. No extras listed.

LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit
Universal, not rated, 43 minutes
DVD retail price: $14.98DVD Amazon price: $9.96
With the grand opening of Jurassic World’s new super-secret dinosaur exhibit just days away, only one thing is missing – the dinosaurs! In order to get the job done, Simon Masrani enlists his newly-hired assistant, Claire Dearing, to ensure the new attraction opens on time…or else. Unfortunately, Owen Grady, the animal behaviorist Claire hired to deliver the dinosaurs, is late. From a runaway Gyrosphere, hang gliding with a Pteranadon, to a high-speed game of chicken with a T-Rex, Owen’s mission turns out to be far more difficult than anyone could have imagined. It’s the very beginning of Claire and Owen’s epic adventure, in LEGO Jurassic World: The Secret Exhibit.

Obsession: Collector’s Edition
Shout! Factory, PG, 98 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 76
BD retail price: $34.93BD Amazon price: $31.49
A tenth wedding anniversary celebration ends tragically when Michael Courtland (Cliff Robertson) discovers that his wife (Geneviève Bujold) and nine-year-old daughter have been kidnapped. When an attempt to thwart the captors goes awry, Courtland’s wife and daughter are never recovered. Several years later while vacationing in Florence, Courtland falls in love with a young woman who is an exact double of his dead wife. On the eve of their wedding, the woman disappears and Courtland finds a ransom note – a duplicate of the one found several years earlier. Directed by Brian DePalma. BD extras: photo gallery, interviews, featurette, commentary.

The Old Man And The Gun
Fox, PG-13, 93 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 92
DVD retail price: $29.98DVD Amazon price: $14.96
BD/DC/DVD retail price: $34.99BD/DC/DVD Amazon price: $19.96
The mostly true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) – from his daring prison escape at age 70 to an unprecedented string of bank heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public. Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who is captivated by Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and Jewel (Sissy Spacek), the woman loves him despite his criminal ways. DVD extras: photo gallery, featurettes, commentary.

PAW Patrol: Pups Save Puplantis
Nickelodeon, not rated, 95 minutes, 6 episodes
DVD retail price: $14.98DVD Amazon price: $9.99
The pups journey to the mystical world of Puplantis, discover an underwater volcano, save the Sea Patroller from Sid the Pirate, and more. I know the preschoolers watching it won’t care, but the English major in me cringes at the term “Puplantis.” No extras listed.

The Plague Of The Zombies
Shout! Factory, not rated, 91 minutesRotten Tomatoes ranking: 82
BD retail price: $29.99BD Amazon price: $23.96
In a remote 19th-century Cornish village, an evil presence lurks within the darkness of the witching hour. A mysterious plague relentlessly consumes lives at an unstoppable rate. Unable to find the cause, Dr. Peter Tompson enlists the help of his mentor, Sir James Forbes. Desperate to find an antidote, they instead find inexplicable horror: empty coffins with the diseased corpses missing. Following a series of strange and frightening clues, they discover a deserted mine where they discover a world of black magic and a doomed legion of flesh-eating slaves – the walking dead! Stars André Morell, Diane Clark, John Carson. BD extras: photo gallery, featurettes, commentary.

The Revelation Of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
Megawave, not rated, 101 minutes
DVD retail price: $12.95DVD Amazon price: $12.95
Documentary of the making of the Grammy-nominated reggae album “Revelation” by dub reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry, who is considered one of the most important figures in the history of reggae music. Not only did he help develop the early reggae sound captured in a number of important recordings, but as an engineer, producer, songwriter, and performer he pioneered a number of innovations, including dub reggae. DVD extras: interviews.

Room 304
Film Movement, not rated, 88 minutes
DVD retail price: $19.95DVD Amazon price: $13.29
Startling tales of sex, betrayal and corruption unravel in a Copenhagen hotel when disparate lives intersect in a twist of fate. A hotel manager peers into the abyss of his empty life, leading to devastating consequences for himself, his wife and his mistress. A Spanish stewardess reaches out for intimacy and finds it in a most unexpected way. A reserved concierge is forced out of his shell by a shocking event, and an Albanian refugee gets a chance to avenge his wife, but ends up discovering something surprising instead. In Danish, German with English subtitles. No extras listed.